


Guilty Pleasures

by youngfolly (orphan_account)



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla (Web Series) RPF, Carmilla - J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/F, Murder Mystery, Romance, Sexual Content, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-03-30 19:06:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3948235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/youngfolly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Laura Hollis is a homicide detective who has the best one night stand of her life, but with the worst possible person.</p><p>(Trigger Warning: This is a crime/mystery story so there will be talk of murder.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Overture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This was originally written to be a camren one shot (fifth harmony), but I have altered it to fit Carmilla. It is 100% my story and I'd be more than happy to provide the proof should anyone feel the need to ask for it!)

"Are you kidding me!?" Laura asked in a panic, her eyes darting around the 'bar' Danny had insisted they check out together. "This is a strip club!"

"Duh." The taller girl laughed, "I told you it was called Teasers... what'd you expect?"

"What if someone from work sees us!?"

"That's ridiculous, no one from work would be caught dead in a place like this."

"Exactly!" Laura hissed from under her breath as Danny led them through the dark, sleazy establishment.

They weren't breaking any laws by being there, but that did little to ease Laura's worries. She was the department's best detective, and it had taken years for her to garner the respect she deserved. The last thing she wanted was to throw that all away by getting spotted in a place like this.

"I'm leaving." Laura huffed with a shake of her head, turning towards the exit.

"Hey." Danny whined, grabbing a hold of her friend's elbow, "Just give it a try." She pleaded, her cool blue irises softening and her full bottom lip jutting out in a pout.

Laura rolled her eyes and tried to pull away, but Danny's grip only tightened. This was ridiculous, Danny should have known better than to bring them to some sleazy strip club in downtown Seattle. There were so many great clubs and bars, why the hell were they wasting their time in a place like this?

"You need to let go and have some fun." Danny insisted, dragging Laura over to a secluded corner where they could speak more privately. She released Laura's elbow and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to put on a stern look.

"We have fun at regular clubs all the time." Laura complained, her eyes wandering over Danny's shoulder and landing on one of the topless dancers. Her stomach clenched and she swallowed. Oh god. She cleared her throat, shifting her gaze back on Danny in attempt to ignore the telltale signs of desire.

"I don't mean that kind of fun," Danny raised an eyebrow and made a scissoring motion with her fingers. "I mean like..."

"Stop that!" Laura scolded, slapping away her friend's inappropriate gesture.

Danny giggled and rubbed the back of her hand, "I'm trying to help you out here... It's been what, like six months since you broke up with Carson? It's time to get back out there; you've been celibate for long enough."

"Not everything is about sex."

"It is when you find someone who can actually make you orgasm."

"Shh." Laura stretched up on her tip toes and covered Danny's mouth with her palm before looking around to make sure nobody was listening. "Not so loud." She chided, retracting her hand with an adorable blush.

Danny tried to hold her tongue, she really did, but in the end she just couldn't help herself.

"What kind of lesbian can't make a girl cum." The tall redhead mumbled with a smirk, "Talk about useless." She added a little louder, dodging a playful slap to the arm.

Laura shook her head in amusement, unable to hold back a smile. "Why am I even friends with you?"

"Because..." Danny threw her arm over Laura's shoulders, "I know what you need, even when you don't think you need it. Now come on there's a ton of sexy strippers waiting for you."

Laura sighed in defeat. As stupid as this idea was, she knew better than to argue. They wouldn't be leaving until Danny was convinced she'd at least tried to have a good time. Plus, if Laura were being honest with herself, there was a part of her that really wanted to let go and have 'fun'. It had been ages since she'd thrown caution to the wind and had a good time. She was constantly trying to prove herself as responsible and capable at work and the pressure of practicing control was starting to seep into her personal life. Over the last few years, she had become so focused on her detective work, she'd managed to completely abandon all aspects of life that didn't involve the homicide division of Seattle's Police Department. It wasn't the healthiest way to live and she knew that. Sooner or later she would have to give into her physical needs, and it looked as though tonight would be the night.

Trailing after Danny, Laura had no idea where to fix her gaze. Something about watching the naked women dance felt wildly inappropriate. She did her best to keep her eyes in neutral territory, but there were half-dressed strippers everywhere. Some grinded against poles, while others danced sensually on the laps of excited strangers. The situation was equally arousing and bizarre. Laura didn't know whether to feel turned on or grossed out. Then again she'd never been all that adventurous in the bedroom. Not that she was against spicing things up, it just so happened that all of her past partners had been strictly vanilla. Laura was more than willing to try new things... As long as she didn't have to be the one who initiated the conversation.

The two girls came to a halt near one of the smaller, less populated stages and Danny gestured for Laura to sit. Exhaling dramatically, the brunette plopped down onto the empty, red couch and looked around. Across from her, on a black couch, a man and a woman looked on as a dancer grinded seductively against a pole.

"I'll be right back." Danny said, waving over one of the waitresses.

"What!? You can't leave me here by myself!"

"Relax, it will only be a few minutes."

Laura opened her mouth to protest further, but the waitress had arrived. Danny ordered each of them a drink, then turned back to her friend. She handed Laura a few dollar bills and winked. "Have fun."

And just like that she was all alone.

* * *

 

"How much for a private dance?" Danny shouted over the loud music pulsing through the club's speakers.

"It's usually $30 per song, but for you I'd be flexible." The gorgeous dancer smiled, running her eyes over the other girl's tall, toned body.

Danny blushed, "Oh... it's not for me, it's for my friend." She looked over her shoulder and found Laura sitting wide-eyed and timid right where she'd left her only moments ago.

Poor thing stuck out like a sore thumb.

Back at work, Laura had a reputation for being the department's resident stickler, always following the rules and being stern. To her credit, the uptight persona had done its job. People respected Laura… even if they did think she was a boring purist. Off the clock Laura was shy and quiet, but the second she was solving a case she completely transformed into a determined, brave, protector. The contrasting personalities seemed to balance Laura out wonderfully, but it did take some getting used to. Take tonight for example, Laura was an absolute nervous wreck. If Danny didn't already know better, she'd never believe that Laura was the most formidable homicide detective in Seattle.

"That's her," Danny gestured, watching as the dancer's eyes landed where she was pointing

"She's gorgeous... but are you sure she's up for a private dance?" The stripper asked with a soft laugh, "Doesn't look like she's enjoying the place much."

"I'm sure." Danny nodded confidently, "She'll warm up, I promise. It just takes a minute or two."

"Alright, whatever you say."

Danny beamed, hopeful that this could be the stress relief her friend needed. "Awesome, I'll go tell her."

* * *

 

Sitting alone on the red couch, Laura had never felt more awkward in her entire life. At first, she had refused to objectify the women by throwing out money as they danced, but then she didn't want to come across rude. So, to avoid looking like a cheap asshole, she tried to place a few dollars in one of the girl's g-strings. Her nervous hands had fumbled awkwardly and in the end the dancer had just grabbed the money and tucked it away herself. As if that wasn't humiliating enough, the drunken man next to her had proceeded to laugh his face off, before asking if it was Laura's first time seeing a topless woman.

The whole situation was a mess, stripclubs were clearly not her cup of tea.

"Hey," Danny appeared out of nowhere, making Laura jump.

"Jesus, you scared me."

"Sorry." The redhead laughed, taking a seat next to Laura on the couch. "Guess what?"

"You've changed your mind and we're leaving?" Laura asked hopefully, knowing full well that was not the case.

"No silly... I just hooked you up with a private dance."

"Do I have to?" Laura whined, dropping her head into her hands. "I really appreciate the kind gesture but-"

"At least let me show you the girl first. If you still want to leave, then we can go. Deal?"

"Fine." Laura sighed lifting her head. She looked over to where her friend was pointing and swallowed.

"See, what did I tell ya," Danny grinned triumphantly "She's a babe."

"Wow...are you sure she's a dancer here?"

"Absolutely. Plus she totally thinks you're hot."

Laura bit her lip, weighing the pros and cons. She couldn't even remember the last time she did something like this (probably because she never had).

Another moment passed in contemplation before she exhaled in defeat. Perhaps it was time to let go and have some fun for a change. "Alright, I'll do it. But just one dance."

Danny did a little happy dance before patting her friend excitedly on the back. "Yay! Go have some fun!"

Laura let out a quiet whine of protest but stood up on shaky legs anyway. Taking in a deep breath she willed herself to relax.

_Please don't let me regret this afterwards._

* * *

 

"How was it!?" Danny pried as Laura joined her at the bar looking rather flushed.

"Worst mistake of my life." Laura groaned before ordering herself a shot. The wetness pooling between her thighs was uncomfortably slick, and the ache accompanying the arousal was downright torturous. Never in her life had she been more sexually frustrated. "What's the point of strip clubs anyway? All they do is drive you mad and leave you insanely turned on." She complained, throwing back the hard liquor as it arrived, then wincing as it burned her throat. She'd never been much of a drinker.

"That good, huh?" Danny smiled, twisting around on her stool so she could scan the club. Her eyes landed on the dancer she'd propositioned for Laura and she sighed, "I don't blame you for being all hot and bothered, that dancer is seriously so sexy."

Laura glanced over her shoulder and laughed, "Nobody's stopping you from getting a private dance yourself."

"You think?"

"Ya, I mean you're obviously head over heals in love with the girl."

"Am not," Danny huffed with a playful glare, "I just think she's super cute."

"Go on." Laura let out a warm laugh, "I'll be here trying to drink away my sexual frustrations."

"You know what, you're right." Danny winked before downing the rest of her cocktail and sauntering off in the dancer's direction. "Shoot me a text if you need anything."

"Yep." Laura nodded, and just like that she was alone again. At least now she didn't feel as awkward or nervous. The alcohol running through her veins was doing a good job of loosening her up. If it wasn't for the throbbing between her legs, she might actually be enjoying herself.

"Another shot please," Laura called out to the bartender, smiling as she thought about Danny's eager departure.

"First time at a strip club?" A raspy voice asked from the seat next to her.

Laura glanced over and met the stare of a gorgeous brunette. "How did you know?"

"It's a gift." The girl shrugged, wrapping a set of full lips around her glass and taking a slow sip. The act should not have been as sexual as Laura perceived it to be, but it was. Her already stimulated core clenched and she shifted lightly in her seat, searching for some kind of relief.

Then, aware that she was staring, Laura cleared her throat and tore her eyes away from the stranger's mouth. In attempt to regain some composure, she took a quick drink from her own glass. This time when she met the girl's stare, she had her body back under control - for the most part. Raising a questioning eyebrow, Laura silently encouraged the stranger to elaborate on how she'd guessed it was her first time at a strip club.

"Fine, if you really must know, my friend is one of the dancers." The attractive brunette grinned slyly, "She doesn't have a car so I get stuck picking her up from work all the time. I know all the regulars by name, and I am certain that I've never seen you in here before... I would have remembered someone so ravishing", she added as a seductive after thought, tilting her head slightly to one side.

Laura's cheeks lit up in a hot blush at the woman's choice of words. She opened her mouth to respond but her mind seemed hazy, almost as if the stranger's gravelly voice had slipped her into some sort of trance. A knowing smirk tugged at the stranger's lips and Laura felt her heart pound a little harder against the walls of her chest.

With a shake of the head, Laura finally recovered and asked, "What's your name?"

The woman's chocolaty irises watched her in amusement, the dark orbs sparkling despite the dimly lit club. Laura found the sensation to be both mesmerizing and unsettling... something about the stranger seemed to scream trouble.

"Carmilla," The stranger answered with a flirty smile, her husky voice doing wicked things to Laura's state of arousal, "and you are?"

"Laura." The shorter of the two brunettes replied, grasping the stranger's outstretched palm in greeting. As her fingers enveloped Carmilla's slightly larger hand, she couldn't help but notice the soft strength of the digits. Without meaning to, Laura's mind drifted into dangerous territory as images of those hands doing dirty things played through her head like an erotic movie.

 _Woah there._ Laura had absolutely no idea where the wildly inappropriate fantasy had come from, they'd only just met for crying out loud. What the hell was wrong with her?

Hurrying to extinguished the improper visions, Laura ran a frazzled hand through the hair at her scalp. The unbridled sexual frustration was clearly starting to get to her head.

_Get a hold of yourself._

As if sensing the direction of Laura's thoughts, the stranger broke out into a heart stopping smile. Thankfully she didn't comment on the awkwardly long hand shake, or the embarrassed blush that filled Laura's cheeks. Instead Carmilla chose to dismiss the uncomfortable moment with a question.

"So tell me, what's an uptight girl like you doing at a strip club?"

"What makes you think I'm uptight?" Laura frowned, her eyebrows drawing together in defense.

"You're wearing slacks. It's a dead give away."

"Since when?"

"You're kidding, right? They basically scream 'I'm boring and have no social life'."

Laura's jaw dropped at the girl's blunt nature, but she was happily amused nonetheless. Nobody had ever been so brutally honest with her; in a twisted way, it was sort of refreshing.

"That's a rude thing to say." Laura glared playfully, trying her best to look offended. A smile threatened to give her away and she bit down on her lip to mask it.

"It's true though, isn't it?"

Laura considered the girl for a moment, loving every moment of their banter. "I'm here because my friend thought it would be a good idea." She finally answered, running her fingertip around the edge of her glass.

"And was it?"

"I'm not sure."

"Why not?" Carmilla questioned, a little distracted by the other girl's playful fidgeting.

"Well," Laura dragged out, her amber eyes shifting to hold Carmilla's gaze. The alcohol was providing her with an unusual amount of confidence, especially considering how beautiful the stranger before her was, "At first, I was having an awful time, but then I got my very first lap dance, which was very... well, interesting. Now I'm talking to you, and I haven't decided how I feel about that yet." She teased with a casual shrug.

"Hmmm, I see." Carmilla ran her tongue over her lips to wet them before suggesting, "How about this, I'll buy your drinks for the rest of the night if you let me ask 10 questions of my choosing."

"And why would I want to do that?"

"So we can get to know each other. Besides, you're uptight remember? You could use some loosening up."

"Don't push it." Laura warned, giving a lighthearted glare. "Plus, that's totally unfair. You'll know all my secrets, and I won't know anything about you."

"Fine," Carmilla rolled her eyes in jest, "I'll let you ask me questions too."

"Wow, how generous of you." Laura exhaled dreamily, the sarcasm in her tone thick and cheeky.

Carmilla let out a throaty laugh that flowed through the air like warm honey, and for an instant Laura was lost in the sound. As the moment passed, their eyes locked and something more than words was exchanged. The atmosphere surrounding them grew tense, but in a pleasant and exciting way. Laura found herself taking in a deep breath to combat the light-headedness she suddenly felt.

"Alright, first question." Carmilla spoke softly, shifting in her stool so that she was closer to Laura. "What would be your weapon of choice in a zombie apocalypse?"

"You're joking right?" Laura burst out in laughter.

"I never joke about zombie apocalypses." Carmilla's right hand fell to her chest in mock offense. "It is a serious matter, and your answer will determine whether or not I want to entertain this acquaintance."

Carmilla took another slow slip of alcohol as she waited for Laura to answer. Talk about unfair, nobody should be allowed to make such a casual act look so sexual.

"I'm gonna have to go with a brain machine." Laura finally replied, pleased with her creative response. "If they had a food source, they wouldn't need to bother anyone."

"Amazing." Carmilla beamed, her eyes dropping to Laura's mouth before bouncing back up to meet her gaze. "Your turn."

"Alright, let's see here." Laura nibbled on her lower lip, trying to think of a good question. "What's one the worst things you've ever done?"

"Well, besides being wanted for murder..." Carmilla appeared to be teasing, but her dry sense of humor was difficult for Laura to read –she decided to laugh off the comment anyway.

"Let's see here, I once terrified a roommate in college by filling up a milk carton with fake blood as a prank. Poor girl nearly had a heart attack."

"Oh my god," Laura shook her head with a smile, "that is just pure evil."

"In my defence, the girl was a crazy, " Carmilla remarked, a smirk tugging at her full lips. "She had it stuck in her head I was a vampire or something."

"That's even worse." The shorter brunette laughed with a little unease. A distant warning alarm sounded deep in her gut but the magnetic attraction she had with the stranger was a much stronger force, and in the end she chose to ignore the faint nagging sensation. Instead she allowed the stranger to pull her in with each fleeting moment.

"What can I say, I'm a twisted individual." Carmilla breathed with a sly grin before asking the next question, "Tell me Laura, do you believe in the supernatural?"

"Um..." Laura trailed off, distracted by the sound of her name falling from such heavenly lips.

"Cat got your tongue?" Carmilla hummed and it was all Laura could do to hold back a rogue moan.

_Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me?_

Blinking away the desire, Laura shook herself out of it. "Stop." she slapped Carmilla's arm playfully, trying to hold back a smile. "I'm not sure. I prefer to investigate stuff like that before taking a stance either way. " She concluded with a cute shrug.

"Oh?"

"Ya, I guess I'm a bit of a dork that way."

There was a brief silence that consisted of Carmilla relentlessly staring into her eyes. Laura had wanted to look away, but an invisible force prevented her from moving. Then, with a cheshire grin, Carmilla broke the trance. "I think I might be starting to like you."

"At least that makes one of us." Laura teased after a moment, finally allowing herself to loosen up.

"You say that now," Carmilla smirked, "But by the end of the night, you won't be able to get enough of me."

"Pretty full of yourself, don't ya think?." Laura chided with a smile, her gaze fixed on the girl's chocolatey irises.

"I'd rather be full of you, but I'll take what I can get." Carmilla responded, her voice raspy and dripping in sexual innuendo. A sinister grin tugged at her lips as she watched Laura shift and clear her throat. Leaning forward, she let her lips hover just over the shell of Laura's ear, "How about another drink." She whispered, grinning devilishly when the brunette took in a sharp breath and nodded.

***2 HOURS LATER***

"Can you believe that?" Laura asked, gesturing towards the exit.

"Actually, I can." Carmilla shook her head in amusement, "Danny is totally Victoria's type."

Talk about a coincidence. Apparently Danny really hit it off with the dancer that had given Laura the lap dance... little did they know, that dancer also happened to be Carmilla's best friend.

"I guess that means you're stuck with me." Laura teased with a sly grin.

Danny had driven her to the strip club, and now that she was leaving with Victoria, that meant Laura would have to get a ride home from Carmilla.

"I can't believe you got a lap dance from my best friend." The taller brunette chuckled.

Laura buried her head in her hands, an embarrassed blush heating her cheeks. "It wasn't my idea, okay?"

"Sure... whatever you say, Buttercup."

"Jealous?" Laura teased, bumping her thigh against Carmilla's.

"Not really." The girl shrugged, making them both laugh.

They had only known each other for a few hours, but Laura already felt more comfortable with Carmilla than she did most of the people she'd known for years. It was hard to explain, but something about the brunette's presence was oddly familiar. Conversation between them flowed easily without any awkward pauses or forced small talk. In fact, Laura had been so invested in what Carmilla had to say, that she'd hardly even touched her drink. It had been two hours and Carmilla was just now ordering them a second round.

"Here you go." The bartender smiled, reaching out to hand Laura her drink.

The next moment seemed to pass in slow motion as a drunken man stumbled into Laura's back, knocking the drink from her grasp. She watched in horror as the glass shattered on the bar, the liquid splashing out all over her shirt. Beside her, Carmilla gasped in surprise, jumping back to avoid getting wet. It had all happened so fast, by the time Laura turned to yell at the guy responsible, there was nobody there. She forced herself to take a few steadying breaths, it had been an accident after all... it just sucked that she was the only one suffering the consequences.

The women behind the counter began to apologize profusely, but Laura waved it away. If anyone should be sorry, it'd be the drunken idiot who had plowed into her side. Not only was her shirt ruined, but now there were little pieces of glass everywhere.

Sighing in frustration, Laura moved to help clean up some of the broken shards. "Dammit." She hissed, drawing back her hand in surprise as a particularly sharp piece pierced the skin of her pointer finger.

"Are you okay?" Carmilla worried, her voice somehow sounding even raspier than normal.

"Ya, it's just a little cut."

"You're bleeding." The taller brunette shuttered, taking in an uneasy breath.

"Don't tell me a little blood makes you queasy." Laura laughed, grabbing a napkin and pressing it to the small dot of blood leaking from her finger.

"No, uh… no, I'm fine." Carmilla closed her eyes and lightly shook away her discomfort. "We should go to the bathroom and get you cleaned up though."

"We?" Laura raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Come on." Carmilla offered a small smile, taking Laura's elbow and leading them in the direction of the bathroom. "Make sure you keep pressure on that." She instructed as they rounded the corner. "It'd be best to get that bleeding stopped as soon as possible."

"You act like I have a gaping wound," Laura teased as Carmilla ushered her into the ladies room, "It's just a tiny cut."

"Just keep pressing down with the napkin while I go get you a new shirt from Victoria's locker."

As Carmilla turned to leave, Laura took a moment to inspect herself in the mirror. Luckily she'd chosen to wear a black blouse this evening, so her top wasn't completely see-through. If it wasn't for the fact that the material was pasted to her like a second skin, then you wouldn't even be able to tell she was soaking wet. Shaking her head, Laura released a frustrated breath. She'd always had the worse luck. Things that would never happen in a million years to most people, seemed to happen to Laura on a daily basis... unless of course it was something good, then it never worked out.

As the seconds turned to minutes, Laura became impatient. The material was incredibly uncomfortable and she couldn't wait to take it off. Eventually, she decided to go ahead and disregarded Carmilla's orders. Throwing away the napkin pressed against her cut, she began to unbutton her shirt. In the end, she'd only got halfway done before Carmilla came barging back through the door.

"All I could find was this–" The brunette stopped mid sentence when she saw Laura fumbling to open the buttons of her shirt, "Hey, I thought I told you to wait." She scowled, a low growl rumbling in the back of her throat.

"You have no idea how uncomfortable this is." Laura huffed gesturing to her wet shirt, not bothering to look up. An irritated sigh slipped from her lips as the fourth button refused to pop open.

"Here, let me help." Carmilla exhaled in exasperation, crossing the room in three large steps. She tore a piece of paper towel from the dispenser then stilled the girl's movements by placing her hands over Laura's. Their eyes met, "Press this on the cut." Carmilla insisted, handing over the white towel.

Laura rolled her eyes with a huff. "I can take care of myself."

"That's not the point."

"No? Then what is?"

Carmilla couldn't help but smile at Laura's sassy side, "The point is that I'm here, and I want to help. Does that bother you?" She asked curiously.

"No"

Carmilla adopted a smug grin. Tilting her head to the side, she took a moment to study the girl's tense features. "Unless you have something against me undressing you?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, not at all." Laura breathed out almost too quickly, her pulse quickening at the thought.

The atmosphere buzzed with underlying sexual tension as Carmilla shifted closer. "Interesting" She dragged out, her hands slowly making their way down the buttons of Laura's shirt. Her fingertips brushed against the skin of the shorter brunette's chest as she popped open one button at a time. When she got to the last one a mischievous grin appeared.

A quick slide of Carmilla's fingers and Laura's shirt fell open, revealing the tan, creamy skin of her abdomen. Biting her lip, Carmilla ran her eyes over the tight muscles of Laura's stomach. As her gaze lifted to the swell of Laura's breasts under her black, lacy bra she raised an appreciative eyebrow. Meanwhile, Laura's heart hammered excitedly against the walls of her chest. She watched in anticipation as Carmilla inspected her exposed torso. The brunette's eyes turned almost black with lust, like a panther who had locked in on its prey. Laura couldn't help but shiver as the taller brunette ran her fingertips along the sensitive skin just above her hip bone. Then lifting her hand, Carmilla moved to trace the length of Laura's collar bone, before gently pushing the shirt off her shoulders. The fabric fell to the floor with a quiet thud and Laura sucked in a breath.

Waiting to see what Carmilla would do next was torturous. Laura felt restless yet paralyzed; never in her life had she been so painfully aroused. As Carmilla leaned forward, pressing their chests together Laura struggled to remain standing. Her legs felt like jello, the wetness between her thighs returning in force.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The stranger whispered against the shell of Laura's ear. The heat from the girl's exposed torso was leaking through the thin fabric of Carmilla dress, and she too felt unsteady with need. The palms of her hands found the naked skin of Laura's back and she pulled their bodies closer together.

"My place or yours?" Laura asked breathlessly, melting into Carmilla's embrace.

"Neither... there's a hotel down the street." Carmilla took a step back reluctantly so that she could help Laura put on Victoria's shirt. Then interlacing their fingers, she gave a sexy smile, "Let's go."


	2. An Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Warning: explicit sexual content)

The butterflies in Laura's stomach took a tumble as she felt Carmilla's palm come to rest on the small of her back. Guiding her into the elevator with a gentle push, she then leaned across to press the button for the 19th floor. The tension between them was so thick, Laura struggled to fill her lungs with oxygen. She wasn't usually such an anxious person, but something about the way Carmilla carried herself was completely unnerving. Reading the brunette was almost impossible, she had a mysterious disposition that was both exciting and disturbing. Laura's entire life revolved around constantly being one step ahead of everyone. With Carmilla, she had absolutely no idea what to expect. The girl was completely unpredictable.

Trying to hide her nerves, Laura took a deep breath and watched the numbers indicating the floor level climb.

2…

3...

4...

Carmilla's hand snaked around to rest on Laura's right hip.

5...

She shifted, pulling Laura a little closer.

6...

7...

8...

The brunette leaned over, her hot breath dancing against the sensitive skin of Laura's neck, "Not having second thoughts are you?"

"Definitely not."

"Good." She rasped, sending an excited shiver down Laura's spine.

9...

10...

A sly grin graced Carmilla's face as she slowly turned to face the other girl, "So tell me...do you like to be fucked, Laura? Or do you prefer to do the fucking?" She asked bluntly.

Overcome with surprise and lust, Laura found herself at a loss for words. Carmilla began to take small steps in her direction and Laura retreated slowly, her eyes locked on the dark ones approaching. As her back collided with the cool metal wall she took in a sharp breath. At this point her heart was beating so fast she could feel the pulsing sensation in her fingertips.

It was as if a switch had been flipped and now all of Carmilla's sexual energy was spilling out, threatening to sweep Laura away in the currents.

"I hope it's the former, because I've been imagining all of the different ways I could fuck you all night." Carmilla whispered as her hands pressed against the walls on either side of Laura's face, trapping the girl in the corner. "If not, we could always take turns. First I'll fuck you, then you can fuck me. How does that sound?"

Never in her life had Laura been so turned on by a sentence. No one had ever spoken so crudely to her, and after discovering the effect it had she hoped it wasn't the last time. "I think that sounds nice." She stuttered, making her inexperience with dirty talk evident.

"Nice?" Carmilla teased, grinning as a hot blush crawled up Laura's neck and face.

"I.. uh.."

"You know what I think?" Carmilla whispered, leaning in so her lips were only a breath away, "I think that you're barely holding it together. I bet if I touched you right now, you'd fall apart."

Laura swallowed.

11...

12...

"See," Carmilla smirked, tracing a line from Laura's collarbone down to her waist, then back up again. "You're actually doing a very good job of keeping it together, I'm impressed." Her eyes fell to Laura's lips for a quick moment before she peered back up and met the girl's dazzling amber gaze. "But I can see it in your eyes, why not just give in already?"

That was a good question, certainly one Laura had no interest in exploring. At this point, the throbbing ache between her thighs had become nearly unbearable. The desire in Carmilla's dark eyes had set a fire deep within Laura's core, and sooner or later she was going to explode. Trying to fight the urge now would only be prolonging the inevitable.

13...

A look was exchanged and an imaginary force seemed to pull Carmilla forward. Closing the gap between them, she watched hungrily as Laura's lips parted in anticipation.

14...

"Do you want me to touch you?" Carmilla asked in a seductive whisper, smirking when the girl nodded in response. "Turn around." She instructed softly.

Eager to please, Laura shifted so that her front was pressed up against the wall of the elevator. An excited gasp slipped from her lips as Carmilla took in a hand full of her hair and tugged gently. Moving at an excruciatingly slow pace, the taller brunette leaned forward to place a light kiss against the heated skin of Laura's neck. She let her lips linger for a moment before giving in and tasting the salty flesh with her tongue.

"Fuck." Laura moaned as something sharp, probably teeth, scraped against a particularly sensitive area.

15...

16...

"Spread your legs." Carmilla whispered, her free hand snaking around to the front of Laura's waist before slowly drifting down to touch her over the grey slacks. Even through all of the material, Laura was unbelievably responsive and found herself spasming lightly when Carmilla's fingers drifted further between her legs.

She shifted on her feet, desperate for more contact. The way Carmilla was so feral and demanding had Laura practically shaking with desire. For once in her life she didn't feel the need to step in and make sure things ran smoothly, she knew that Carmilla had everything under control. Instead of worrying about what to do next, all of her focus was on the passion igniting deep within.

17...

"You're already so sensitive," Carmilla moaned, pressing a series of wet kisses from Laura's jaw down to the crook of her neck. Every once in a while she would nip at the delicate skin –not hard enough to break skin, but hard enough to draw out soft cries– then she would soothe the stinging flesh with her tongue. Most definitely there would be marks later, a thought that made Carmilla's chest fill with pride. Tonight she would have Laura completely and, in the morning, there would be evidence to prove it.

18...

"I'm going to do so many naughty things to you." Carmilla promised, her voice becoming increasingly husky and deep.

"Like what?" Laura panted as Carmilla continued to rub her over the material of her pants.

"Depends... how do you want it?" Carmilla asked, struggling to keep her composure. Laura's ass felt unbelievable pressed up against her, and it took all she had to not lose control.

"Inside." Laura panted, reaching a hand back to grab a hold of Carmilla's head. "I want your fingers."

"Hmmm. That does sound very naughty." Carmilla whispered, pressing her palm harder against Laura's core.

"Oh, yes." Laura moaned, tensing in pleasure. The sensation almost brought her to her knees, but Carmilla slipped a strong thigh between her legs just in time.

"Not yet." The taller brunette husked, knowing they didn't have much time.

19...

All too soon the elevator dinged, indicating they had reached their floor. Carmilla glanced over her shoulder in disappointment before retracting her hand . "I guess you're going to have to wait." She sighed with regret, smirking as she saw the frazzled expression on the other girl's face.

Laura hurried to straighten herself out. "I don't know if I'll be able walk." She half-joked, using the wall for balance as she turned around. Without Carmilla there to hold her up she felt terribly unsteady. Every nerve in her body was buzzing in excitement and arousal, she was so beyond turned on at this point, it was becoming painful.

"Come on." Carmilla laughed, leaning in to place a quick kiss against Laura's lips before taking her hand and leading them down the hallway to their room.

The walk helped soothe some of the throbbing between Laura's legs, as well as the nerves in her stomach. Having Carmilla's warm palm pressed against her own was surprisingly comforting, and she found herself feeling considerably relaxed. As they entered the suite, she couldn't help but admire the impressive sway of Carmilla's hips. The girl was unbelievable; the type of stunning that made people want to worship the ground she walked on. By far the most beautiful girl Laura had ever met.

After turning to shut the door and engage the lock, Laura twisted back around to find Carmilla eyeing her appreciatively. A blush heated her cheeks, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach reignite in excitement. As her eyes took in the gorgeous stranger, Laura thought about jumping her right then and there, but figured it would be best to not rush things. Trying to prolong the air of anticipation, she averted her gaze, taking in the immaculate hotel room.

"This is beautiful", Laura noted, walking past Carmilla so she could look out the giant windows that offered a panorama view of Seattle's skyline. "I can't believe you booked us the luxury suite." She shook her head in disbelief, taking in the picturesque cityscape.

"A special occasion calls for special circumstances." Carmilla grinned, kicking off her high heeled shoes.

"I wish you'd let me pay for half."

"No way."

"Come on," Laura whined, not bothering to turn around, "If you don't let me pay, then it makes me feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman."

Carmilla plopped down on the bed with a warm laugh, "Hey, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a good prostitute", she grinned, pulling up her dress so she could unhook her garter belts.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that", Laura turned around slowly, her body nothing more than a silhouette against the large expanse of glass. When her eyes landed on Carmilla she sucked in a breath, "Woah, that is so… hot." She exhaled, watching as the brunette unfastened the lingerie one at a time.

After removing both stockings, Carmilla pulled the hem of her dress back down and stood up from the bed. As she stalked over, Laura waited in anticipation. The distance between them grew smaller and smaller, the air around them electric and sizzling with sexual energy. It occurred to Laura that, without heels on, Carmilla was much shorter and far less intimidating, which made her smile.

"What?"

"Nothing." Laura replied, slowly backing up towards the glass.

"Tell me." Carmilla squinted, her eyes dropping to take in the masterpiece before her. The way the Laura's perfect body was silhouetted by the gorgeous backdrop of Seattle's skyline was simply breathtaking.

The question was quickly forgotten by both of them as Carmilla closed the gap, sealing Laura up against the giant window.

Carmilla's lips parted, expectant, her dark eyes filling with a familiar lust. Moving slowly, she reached down to intertwine their fingers before bringing them up over Laura's head to press against the glass. Running her tongue across her lips, she leaned in to place a series of kisses along Laura's jawline, slowly making her way to the girl's parted lips. They kissed long and hard, exploring each other's mouths in an unhurried passion. Each time their tongues collided, Laura felt herself melting into the girl's embrace. Mind hazy with lust, she lost herself in Carmilla's addictive taste. Time seized to exist, along with everything else, and the only thing that mattered was following her desire down the rabbit hole. She could care less where it took her, as long as she was in Carmilla's hands it was bound to be amazing.

After several minutes, Carmilla drew back breathless, "You are so fucking sexy." She husked before lowering her mouth to Laura's throat where she sucked and licked the flesh with fervor. Completely in tune with the girl's body, she thrusted a thigh between her legs, offering support and pressure. There seemed to be an effortless connection between them that was unlike anything either of them had ever experienced before. Almost as if they were able to anticipate each other's every move.

Placing one last kiss against the bottom of Laura's throat, Carmilla lifted her head, "You have too many clothes on." She remarked, reaching down to remove the brunette's shirt. The material got caught for an instant on Laura's head and they shared a laugh before discarding the fabric on the floor.

As her naked back pressed up against the cool glass, Laura shivered, "We should move to the bed."

"Why, no one can see us."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Carmilla grinned, "But we can move to the bed if you want." She offered, pressing her thigh more firmly against Laura's core. The girl let out a breathy moan at the movement and closed her eyes in pleasure. Their lips clashed again, more sloppy than before, and Laura's train of thought derailed. All that mattered was the taste and feel of Carmilla's lips dancing against her own.

Reaching down, Carmilla grabbed the back of Laura's right leg and wrapped it around her hips. Thrusting forward she pinned the girl harder into the glass, her hands roaming up and down Laura's sides. The skin beneath her fingertips was soft and warm and Carmilla let out a quiet moan of approval. Then, growing impatient, she bent down to lift Laura completely off the ground, her hands gripping Laura's ass to hold her up.

"Oh." Laura gasped, interlocking her ankles behind the girl's back. A triumphant grinned graced Carmilla's face at the sound as she carried her across the room with ease. She tossed Laura onto the bed, eliciting a cute squeak.

Raising up on her elbows, Laura watched as Carmilla's dark eyes drank her in, the lust in her gaze fiery and unrestrained.

Carmilla crawled up on the bed, placing a quick but passionate kiss against the girl's lips. "These need to go." She smiled, moving to unbutton Laura's pants.

"What about you? I'm starting to feel way underdressed here."

A laugh slipped from Carmilla's lips as she tugged the slacks off Laura's hips and tossed them carelessly to the floor. "I get to fuck you first, remember?"

Laura swallowed.

"That means I am in charge." The girl continued, leaning down to make a trail of kisses up Laura's leg. When she got to the mid thigh she bit down softly, eliciting a quiet whimper. Then, releasing the flesh, she licked her lips and glanced up to meet Laura's vibrant amber eyes. They shared a look that spoke volumes and Carmilla smirked, "I'm going to make you cum so hard. By the time I'm done with you, my name will be the only thing you can remember."

Laura closed her eyes and sucked in an eager breath, letting her head fall back against the mattress. Every nerve ending in her body stood at attention, begging to be touched. Carmilla's soft lips kissed along her abdomen but Laura needed so much more. Growing impatient, she waited and waited for Carmilla to do something to ease the tension, but it seemed the girl was only making it worse.

The slow, unhurried nature of Carmilla's kisses was driving Laura insane. It was becoming impossible to sit still. All she wanted was a little relief.

Something…. Anything.

Eventually, the teasing became too much to handle. Licking her lips, Laura moved to cup her left breast. Just as her palm landed on the fabric of her bra, a hand grasped her wrist and tugged it away preventing the touch. Laura let out a frustrated whine, lifting her head so she could glare at the girl responsible.

"Not so fast," Carmilla whispered darkly.

"Please, I can't wait any longer." Laura resorted to begging.

"Fine, but scoot up to the head rest." Carmilla directed, raising a suggestive eyebrow, "I want to try something."

At this point, Laura would do anything to get relief, so she moved backwards as instructed. When her back met the pillows she stopped and watched as Carmilla crawled after her, a predatory look in her brown eyes.

"I won't be mad if you say no." Carmilla forewarned with an innocent smile.

"What?"

"Also, you should know that I don't usually do this with people I meet at bars." She added as a disclaimer, smirking softly.

"You're kind of scaring me now." Laura grinned, only half-joking. A few seconds passed, that felt more like hours, as she waited to hear Carmilla's proposition.

"Have you ever been tied up?" The girl finally questioned, a mischievous glint in her chocolate eyes. Laura tried to steady her racing pulse as Carmilla hovered closer so that their lips were only centimeters apart.

"No." Laura answered, shivering as the girl's fingertips trailed across the skin of her collarbone.

"Do you want to be?" Carmilla asked softly, staring deep into amber eyes. "Only your wrists, and nothing too serious. It's more playful than anything else." She added with an uncharacteristically shy grin.

At first, Laura's immediate answer was 'hell no'. But then she took a moment to ponder the question. For some reason, she trusted Carmilla. Plus, if she were being honest, the thought appealed to her darker side; not that she was willing to admit it, but the idea of being completely at someone's mercy was a definite turn on. At work she was always so in control, she wondered if it might feel freeing to let go of that responsibility tonight with Carmilla.

"Maybe." Laura answered in a hesitant whisper. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to try."

A beaming smile broke out across Carmilla's face. "So, you do have a naughty side." She tilted her head slightly, her eyes dropping to Laura's lips before lifting back up to meet her gaze.

"I think you bring it out in me." Laura countered with a smile before leaning forward to press their lips together.

No one had ever kissed her the way Carmilla did, so full of passion and hunger. It made Laura feel powerful, knowing that someone as beautiful as Carmilla wanted her just as much.

They kissed until they couldn't breathe, and then they kissed some more. Laura's lips were so tender she knew that tomorrow they would likely bruise. Another time, she might be upset about something like that, but with Carmilla it almost felt like an honor... like she had somehow marked them as her own.

They broke apart for air and Carmilla smirked, "I'll be right back, don't move."

Laura raised her hands in mock surrender, making Carmilla chuckle as she slid off the bed to retrieve the belt from Laura's slacks.

"I agreed to be tied up, not whipped." Laura noted skeptically, watching as the other girl crawled back up on the bed, belt in hand.

"It's to fasten your wrists together, cutie." Carmilla rolled her eyes with an easy going smile. "We're going to have to improvise here."

As she moved to straddle Laura's hips, her expression faded into a lust filled gaze. The girl beneath her looked gorgeous laying there in only a bra and panties, her light brown hair sprawled out haphazardly against the white pillows.

"When are you going to get out of that dress?" Laura licked her lips, drawing Carmilla's attention.

"Give me your hands and you might find out."

"I don't know if I like this game, it's not very fair." Laura pouted, presenting her wrists anyway.

"You may not like it much now, but here in five minutes you're going to love it, I promise" Carmilla smiled, binding the girl's hands together with care before pulling them up and over Laura's head. She leaned forward to fasten them to the bedpost, all the while making sure to give Laura a good view of her chest.

Once Laura's wrists were secured to the bed a naughty grin tugged at Carmilla's lips, "Now I get to do whatever I want to you." She whispered seductively, running her fingertip down the center of the other girl's chest.

"Be nice." Laura warned, watching as Carmilla's fingers found the front clasp on her black bra.

"Of course." The girl smirked, releasing the hook and freeing Laura's breasts.

Unable to resist any longer, Carmilla leaned down and took a rock hard nipple in her mouth. Using her bottom lip and top teeth, she worked on the sensitive flesh until Laura's breathing grew fast and uneven. When the quiet sighs turned into drawn out moans, Carmilla switched to the other side and worked that nipple into a rock hard peak.

"Please." Laura struggled against the restraints, frustrated that she couldn't reach out.

"Shh..." Carmilla hummed before silencing Laura with her lips. She kissed her good and hard before pulling away quickly, which only frustrated the amber-eyed brunette more.

Smiling, Carmilla sat back up, still straddling Laura's hips. She reached back to unzip her dress and pulled the black fabric over her head. She tossed it carelessly to the floor, leaning forward to connect their lips again. This time, Carmilla kissed the girl until there was no oxygen left in either of their lungs.

"You're killing me here." Laura panted breathlessly as they drew apart.

Carmilla didn't respond with words, instead she quickly removed Laura's black thong. All the teasing was beginning to get to her as well. The throbbing between her legs was turning into a demanding ache, and she knew that Laura must be feeling the same way.

"How do you want it?" Carmilla asked, her fingers finding Laura's wetness for the first time.

"Please." Laura moaned, arching her back off of the bed in pleasure. Her eyes slammed shut and her voice quivered, "I don't care... just please." She begged, unable to form a coherent thought.

Biting her lip, Carmilla moved to lay at Laura's side, her fingers rubbing gentle circles over the girl's clit. As she pressed down harder, Laura's abdomen spasmed indicating she was already close to climax. Sitting up a little, Carmilla thrust two fingers deep into Laura's core. When she felt that Laura's walls begin to squeeze in she drew back, much to Laura's dismay.

"Not yet." Carmilla rasped, moving down to settle between Laura's legs, "I want to taste you." She hummed, spreading Laura open with her fingers before running her tongue through the wet folds.

Laura's eyes slammed shut, the pleasure almost too much to handle. She tugged against the restraints in frustration, wanting to run her fingers through Carmilla's hair as she brought her to climax.

"Look at me." Carmilla's raspy voice commanded, her mouth lifting from Laura.

"Please don't stop." Laura gasped, her tone desperate and begging. When there was no response she opened her eyes in silent question.

"Don't close your eyes or I will." The brunette threatened, smirking as Laura nodded frantically in response. Eyes locked with the pleading amber orbs above her, Carmilla dipped her tongue into the alcove of Laura's parted thighs and thrust two fingers deep her warmth.

A strangled cry of euphoria tore for Laura's lips and she struggled to keep her eyes open. When Carmilla picked up rhythm, licking and sucking her incredibly sensitive bundle of nerves, Laura could feel herself dangling over the edge. Her abdomen tensed as her muscles prepared to shatter into a million pieces. The ache of anticipation was unlike anything she had ever felt before, a mix of pleasure and agony that had her wound up so tight she thought she would explode.

Without any warning, Carmilla sucked hard on Laura's clit and curled her fingers to press firmly against her g-spot. That was all it took. Every nerve ending in Laura's body exploded all at once, making her fingers and toes curl in euphoria. Arching her back off the mattress, she came harder than she ever had before, screaming Carmilla's name into oblivion. Her body spasmed uncontrollably as her mind went blank due to the overwhelming sense of pleasure.

When she slowly drifted back down to earth, she opened her eyes and saw Carmilla looking up in awe.

"Wow." Laura panted, licking her lips. She watched as Carmilla climbed up her body placing random kisses over her torso, neck, and finally lips.

"You're exquisite." Carmilla husked before reaching up to release Laura's bound wrists.

Once she was finally free, Laura grasped Carmilla's hips and flipped them so that she could finally be on top. "My turn." She smirked before leaning down to capture Carmilla's lips in passionate kiss.

* * *

A distant buzzing awoke Laura from a sleep she hadn't realized she'd drifted into. Rubbing her eyes she took a moment to recall where she was and why. Rolling onto her back, she peered over to find the other side of the bed empty. All that remained was the faint traces of an earthy perfume and sex. Her brows crinkled as she tried to get a grip on her surrounding. She listened carefully for movement in the darkness, but there was nothing and she concluded that she was indeed alone... then, the memories flooded back all at once.

Carmilla. The hotel. The numerous orgasms. Everything.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Laura sat up and took a look around. Outside, the full moon illuminated the city, its light drifting in to brighten the otherwise dark hotel room. The buzzing of a phone began again and Laura groaned. Then glancing at the clock on the nightstand, she groaned again. It was 4 o'clock in the morning, which meant that was probably someone from work calling. The only time anyone rang Laura at this hour was to tell her about another murder.

Throwing the covers off her naked body, Laura stood to find her phone. She followed the vibrations across the room to where her pants had been carelessly discarded. Digging a hand into the pocket of her slacks, she found the damned thing and answered, "Hello?"

"Hey, boss." A male voice replied sounding just as tired as Laura felt. "Sorry to be calling at this hour, but there's been another murder."

"And?" Laura dragged out. Her partner wouldn't be calling unless it was something he couldn't handle alone.

"Another girl in her mid twenties... same M.O as the previous two."

"Crap." Laura grumbled quietly, running a hand through her messy hair. This was the worst possible news a homicide detective could get. "Hold on a sec." She instructed, grabbing a pen and paper from the living room area before plopping down on the couch, "What did Chief say?"

"She thinks we got a serial killer on our hands."

"Damn," Laura grumbled into the darkness. "Any leads?"

"No." The voice replied, "The medical examiner is still trying to find out cause of death."

"What do you mean? We know how they died." Laura questioned, her eyes catching a note on the small table in front of her.

"We know they were drained of blood, we just don't know how yet. The M.E still hasn't mapped out a murder weapon."

Laura shifted, leaning forward to grab the note she assumed was from the woman who'd shared her bed last night.

"Hey! I actually think I might got somethin." Laura's partner, Kirsch, exclaimed into the phone, "Just recovered a partial print."

"Great," Laura perked up, "Text me the address, I'm on my way." She set the note back down without reading it before hurrying to put her pants on. As she took one final glance around the hotel room, a small twinge of disappointment twisted in her chest. It would have been nice to at least said goodbye to the stranger who had rocked her world.

_Oh well._

None of that mattered now, Laura had a serial killer to catch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Let me if you'd like this story to continue :) 
> 
> -Courtney


	3. The Lovely Departed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura arrives at the crime scene and finds some troubling evidence.

A light drizzle leaked from the gloomy Seattle sky, the dull weather a perfect representation of Laura's mood as she stepped out of the unmarked police car. A man in uniform offered her a thin smile as he lifted the crime scene tape, "Good morning, detective."

"Officer Collins." Laura greeted, moving to duck under the yellow barrier, "How's the wife?" She asked conversationally as her shoes met the wet grass of the victim's front lawn.

"Good....though not very happy I got called in at this hour." The older officer chuckled, but the sound was somber and forced.

Laura nodded her agreement, "Me and your wife both." She sighed, slipping on some blue latex gloves from her pocket. "You know if Detective Lawrence is here yet?"

"Ya, she's already inside. Got here just a few minutes before you."

"Thanks," Laura smiled before making her way towards the front door.

As she crossed the threshold a silent 'wow' formed at her lips. The place was a mansion, complete with an immaculate, gold tinged chandelier and enormously high ceilings. Everything from the floors, to the paintings on the walls, screamed expensive and high class.

"Detective Hollis," Another officer appeared at her side. "The victim is upstairs, second door on the left."

"Lovely." Laura exhaled sarcastically before making her way across the foyer towards the luxurious spiral staircase.

"Try not to get lost," The officer teased, "It would take us months to find you in a place this size."

"No kidding." Laura shook her head with a smile as she made the ascent.

Just like any job, being a homicide detective had both its highs and lows. A high being the people. Even though Laura had a bit of an uptight reputation amongst her co-workers, they'd come to love and respect her for it. Her upbeat personality and enviable work ethic had won them over within the first few months. And while she'd only been with the Seattle Police Department for a couple of years now, she was quickly becoming one of the best detectives the city had ever seen. In Laura's short time on the force, she had already closed more cases than most of the senior officers in the precinct. She was truly a force to be reckoned with when it came to catching murders, although she wouldn't be caught dead acknowledging any of her accomplishments. As someone who had always struggled with humility, Laura would much rather work behind the scenes and stay out of the spot light. The numerous awards and recognition banquets were categorized as the job's downsides to Laura.

As she reached the top of the stairs, Laura was reminded of another downside to the job as faint traces of decaying flesh filtered into her nostrils. By now, she had grown somewhat accustomed to all of the blood and gore, but she would never get used to the god-awful stench of death. It seemed to engulf every particle of air within a hundred feet, making it almost impossible to breathe without gagging.

Putting on her game face, Laura forced the nausea down into the pits of her stomach before following the horrible smell to the source. The master bedroom seemed to be the scene of the crime,chock full of medical and police staff. Most of them just wandering around aimlessly, trying to look important.

"What have we got?" Laura asked, commanding attention of the room. The herd of people eventually parted, allowing her the space to approach. As she caught site of the victim, a gasp escaped from her throat.

There, laying naked and lifeless on the bed, was a woman in her mid twenties. Same M.O. as the other two murders... only this time her wrists were fastened to the bed post above her head. Hazy memories of the night before bombarded Laura's consciousness. All of the sudden she was staring down into dark, hungry eyes and struggling against restraints as her body spasmed in ecstasy. A shiver racked down her spine and goosebumps appeared. Carmilla's husky voice filled her ears, whispering sweet nothings, while the smell of earthy perfume made Laura's throat dry. Her eye lids fluttered in awakening and her finger tips itched to reach out and touch the soft skin she'd committed to memory only hours ago.

"Earth to Laura." Danny waved her hands in front of the detective's face, trying to coax the woman out of the weird trance she'd slipped into. Others looked on with curious stares, wondering why the detective suddenly looked so flushed and distant."Hello?"

"What? Sorry." Laura shook her head in attempt to banish the totally inappropriate thoughts. As the irrational sense of arousal dissipated, a different feeling took its place: dread. The awful emotion slowly leaked from Laura's mind, into the pit of her stomach. It had to be a coincidence... some sort of sick lesson the universe was trying to teach her about sleeping with random strangers. Carmilla even said that tying people up wasn't something she did regularly -surely that had to mean something. 

 _Who am I kidding_? Laura didn't believe in coincidences.

She also didn't believe in jumping to conclusions. Plenty of people were into light bondage, just because Carmilla happened to be one of those people didn't mean she was also a murder. It would be stupid and reckless to assume Carmilla had something to do with this just because she'd tied Laura up in a similar way last night.... so then why did Laura feel so sick to her stomach? Maybe it was because Carmilla had disappeared in the middle of the night? Or maybe because something about the mysterious brunette seemed to scream trouble.

Deep breath.

"Sorry about that, I guess I still haven't quite woken up yet." Laura tried to play it off.

"Sure," The tall redhead dragged out, giving her friend a curious look, "I was just telling you about the victim. Her name is Betty Spielsdorf, 21, born and raised here in Seattle."

"How does she afford this place?" Laura asked, stepping forward to get a better look at the woman. She was extremely pale, but appeared to have been killed rather recently.

"Rich parents." Danny replied, watching as the medical examiner leaned forward to inspect the two puncture marks on the woman's neck.

"Got a time of death?" Laura directed the question to the other redhead surveying the body.

"Can't be sure without an autopsy, but I'd say she was killed somewhere between 2 and 4am." Dr. LaFontaine answered, glancing up to meet the detective's eyes. "You look different this morning. Did you finally let go and have some fun last night?" They smirked, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

A deep, burgundy blush filled Laura's cheeks and she bit her lip nervously. Was it really that obvious? It had been ages since she'd experienced the post-sex afterglow. She had been hoping the lack of sleep would combat the effects, apparently not. "Nope, just a peaceful night in."

"Tied up in another case?"

Laura nearly bit her tongue at the phrasing of the question, "What? Um no... I uh-"

"Hey guys, I think I got something." Kirsch spoke up from across the room, providing Laura with a lucky break. He slipped a business card from the victim's jacket pocket before crossing over to hand the evidence to Laura. "Looks like our girl might have been at a strip club last night." Kirsch ginned, pleased with himself for making the find. "Some place called Teasers."

As Kirsch handed the card over, Laura hoped he didn't notice the slight tremble of her fingers. That was the strip club from last night, which meant this case was about to get extremely messy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this update was a little short, but I'm gonna try to post another one here really soon!!


	4. Liar Liar

“Sink! Sink!” LaFontaine exclaimed, gesturing to the faucet across the morgue.

“All this time, and autopsies still make you sick?” Danny teased, watching as Kirsch ran over to empty his queasy stomach.

When the nausea passed he ripped a paper towel from the dispenser and wiped his mouth, “No.” He frowned, “I must of just ate something funky.”

“Right.” Laura nudged Danny with her elbow, the two breaking out into infectious laughter.

“Oh cut it out, will ya?” Kirsch blushed, this time choosing to observe from a distance. The three hovering over the victim's corpse tried not to smile as he looked everywhere except the body.

“Anyway…” LaFontaine shook their head in amusement before shifting their focus back to the woman on the autopsy table. “I ran the tox screens you wanted, but I didn’t find any of the usual drugs in her system.”

“What do you mean usual drugs?” Laura questioned, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion.

“Well, the victim tested negative for all known street drugs, and she wasn’t taking any prescription medication.” LaFontaine shifted on their feet, releasing a puzzled sigh, “Which is totally crazy because her epinephrine, oxytocin, and serotonin levels were off the charts. Not to mention the fact it took her approximately 2 hours to bleed out when it should have only taken 30 minutes given her stress levels at the time. The average anxiety attack averages a heart rate of around 100 beats per minute… that should have sped up the hemorrhaging considerably.”

“Why does that matter?” Danny questioned. Science wasn't really her forte, she was more of a sports person herself.

“It means that _something_ was in her system, elevating certain hormone levels while simultaniously slowing her heart rate. I’ve never seen anything like it… up until now I wasn't even sure  that was possible.”

“Interesting.” Laura nodded, sorting through the new information in search of a theory. She went over the crime scene again in her head, taking into consideration any witnesses or acquaintances. There had to be something useful that they had overlooked.

“Hey, Kirsch?” Laura spoke, a dim lightbulb going off in her head. It might not have been much, but it was a start.

“Ya?”

“Did you already question the victim’s boyfriend?”

“Ya, his alibi checks out. Why?”

Laura drew her bottom lip between her teeth before slowly releasing it, “Maybe we should bring him in again for questioning... see if he knows anything about this mystery drug.”

“I'm on it.” Kirsch smiled, his puppy-like energy always so contagious.

“Thanks,” Laura grinned, moving towards the exit and motioning for Detective Lawrence to follow. “I think Danny and I will go check out the strip club lead.”

"Great! I'll be here trying to find a cause of death that makes more sense than vampires," LaFontaine joked, waving goodbye to the three detectives.

  

* * *

  

The only thing worse than a strip club at night, was a strip club during the day. Or at least that was all Laura could think as Danny eased the car into Teasers parking lot. It occurred to her that she must have been out of her mind when she agreed to accompany Danny the night before. The building itself was beautiful thanks to vintage architecture, but the place as a whole was sleazy at best. Covered in neon signs and painted a hideous shade of light pink, it wouldn't have been out of place in a 1960's PlayBoy magazine.

"Not quite as romantic in the day, is it?" Danny teased, grinning at the slightly horrified expression on Laura's face.

“I'll say,” The tiny brunette grumbled in disgust as she climbed out of the car. “I have no idea how you convinced me to come here last night.”

Danny released a warm laugh as the two made their way across the parking lot and towards the back entrance, "Oh come on. You had a good time, admit it."

"Did not."

Danny rolled her eyes, "You're a terrible liar." She replied, lifting her fist to knock on the back door of the club.

They waited in silence for a few moments before Laura gave in with a dramatic sigh, ”Fine, I admit it wasn't all bad."

A smirk tugged at the Danny's lips, "I knew it. That brunette you were chatting up at the bar was like, so sexy…. Speaking of which, what ever happened with her?"

"Ha. No way," Laura let out a nervous huff, “I’m not even gonna go there.”

“Aw, come on, please. I bet it was super hot.”

A familiar heat spread up Laura’s neck and she swallowed. “Nope. Not gonna happen.”

Just as Danny opened her mouth to protest, the door swung open revealing a young blonde in her twenties. She gave them each the once over before adopting an irritated frown. “Are you guys the cops that called earlier?” She asked, looking disgusted with their presence.

A couple of years ago, a reaction like this might have hurt Laura's feelings, but now it was only mildly annoying. She really couldn't blame people for reacting poorly to a couple of homicide detectives. Besides, it would be far more troubling if people greeted them with excitement.

“I’m Detective Hollis and this is Detective Lawrence. We'd like to ask a few questions.” Laura flashed her badge before tucking it back into her pocket.

"Okay?"

“Are you the manager?” Danny raised a curious eyebrow.

“No, I’m just one of the bartenders." The blonde answered, chewing noisily on piece of bubble gum. She wasn't even trying to hide her irritation.

Sighing internally, Laura shifted a little on her feet. "Can we come in?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, but gestured for them to follow her inside, "The manager is upstairs if you want to talk with her.”

“That’d be great.” Danny offered a fake smile before correcting herself, “Actually, if you wouldn’t mind giving Detective Hollis directions, I think I’d like to stay down here and talk with you.”

“Of course," The woman gave a lame, closed lip smile. Then turning to address Laura she mumbled, “Go down that hallway and take the stairs up to the second floor. Alexandra is the secretary there, she can show you to the manager’s office.”

“Great." Laura nodded before directing her attention back at Danny. "What time do you want to meet back down here?"

"Thirty minutes?"

Laura shook her head in agreement before leaving to find the manager.

As she reached the second floor, a pleasantly surprised expression appeared. While the downstairs had looked like your average sleazy strip joint, the upstairs was gorgeous. Laura felt like she was entering some high class office building or something. Her eyes scanned over the lobby area, complete with a few pieces of expensive furniture and a secretary's desk, and she nodded in approval. All of the decor was modern and sophisticated, the varying shades of grey, black, and red giving the space a classy yet sensual feel.    

Across the lobby, a woman dressed in business attire glanced up from behind the desk, "Hello, how may I help you?"

"I'm Detective Hollis, I'd like to speak with the manager."  Laura pulled her shoulder blades together and straightened her spine, radiating confidence and strength as she approached the desk. She found this demeanor extremely effective when dealing with problematic witnesses. Asserting her authority straight off the bat was a sure fire way to ensure the situation remained under control.

"Do you have an appointment?" The woman's voice was sweet, but there was an edge of hostility in her words.

 _Great, another cynic._ Laura thought, working her jaw back and forth to hide her frustration. "No, I do not."

"Well the manager is extremely busy today, perhaps you should come back another time?"

"Perhaps... or I could just bring both of you in for questioning now." Laura sighed, returning the woman's fake smile. "Unless, of course, you'd like to check the schedule again. I'm sure you could find a way to squeeze me in today."

The woman gave an icy glare in return, sending a prickling sensation up Laura's spine. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees, and for a split second Laura swore she could see her breath. Then, as if she'd dreamt it all, the moment passed and the woman pressed down on the intercom.

_Weird._

"Sorry to interrupt, but there is a Detective Hollis here to see you... No, sorry, she's insisting..... Okay, I'll send her in."

Judging by the secretary's grimace upon hanging up, the manager must not have been too pleased with the detective's presence either. For some reason, this time it really irritated Laura. It wasn't her fault someone had been murdered. People could be so ridiculous sometimes, acting as if Laura only questioned them to be an inconvenience, when in reality she was simply doing her job....a job that just so happened help keep the rest of society safe and functioning properly.

"Right this way, Detective." The secretary spoke up, ending Laura's pity party. She stood from behind the desk and straightened out her black pencil skirt. Then, without saying another word, led Laura down a long, dimly lit hallway. The walk was quiet and awkward, but Laura would rather that than small talk any day.

They reached the manager's office and the woman offered a smug grin, "Good luck." Then, turning to leave, she added, "I'm sure you'll need it."

Laura frowned. _What the frilly hell is that supposed to mean?_

An unexpected rush of nerves tightened the walls of her chest, making it difficult to draw in a full breath. Something was definitely up, and she was itching to get to the bottom of it. Both the bartender and the secretary had a bizarre aura about them. It was like some sort of invisible electricity that seemed to grow stronger as the women became more emotional. There was really no way to explain it, except that it had a profound effect on Laura. She had always been gifted with empathy, but with those two it was almost overwhelming... it reminded her a little of the night she'd spent with Carmilla. They had also shared some sort of emotional connection, and while theirs had been much stronger, it was a similar kind of electricity. 

Shaking her head, Laura lifted her fist to knock on the manager's door, now was not the time to be entertaining those kind of thoughts.

A raspy, feminine voice answered, "Come in."

Pushing the door open, Laura caught sight of the woman behind the desk and a sharp gasp escaped from her lips. Time seemed to freeze and the color drained from her face. She blinked, hoping like crazy this was some sort of twisted nightmare. It had to be, because there, sitting regally behind the desk, was the woman she'd been thinking about only moments ago.

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise." Carmilla raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. If she was at all taken back by the other girl's presence, she did an impeccable job of hiding it.

"You have got to be kidding me." An ironic huff of laughter erupted from Laura's throat. "Don't tell me you're the manger."

A wicked grin tugged at Carmilla's lips, making her look like a dangerously sexy super villain, "Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, Cutie, but I'm not just the manager... I own the place."   

This could not be happening. There was no way the universe could be so cruel. Right?

_Wrong._

"Please, call me Detective." Laura requested with irritation.

"I'd rather not," Carmilla waved a hand through the air dismissively, "It would be strange given our intimate relationship, don't you agree?"

"Actually no." Laura scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. When she noticed the other girl sneak a peek at her breasts, she let out a huff and dropped them back to her sides.

She had no idea what she'd done to deserve this kind of punishment, but she would do anything to take it back. The last thing she needed was for an already difficult case to become even more complicated.

"Why did you lie to me." Laura inspected the eyes across the room, hoping to find truth locked away in the dark depths.

"I don't remember you asking if I owned the strip club?"

"You said you were 'picking up a friend from work'." Laura accused.

"And I was. It was my night off and Victoria asked if I could swing by to pick her up.... If you would have asked, I would have gladly told you the truth." Carmilla's tone was sickeningly sweet, enraging Laura to the point of tiny, balled up fists. Though she wasn't exactly sure if she was angry at Carmilla, or the situation in general, she was still furious.

Deep breath.

"Look," Laura finally sighed, knowing if she wanted to remain in control of the case she needed to try and stay level headed. "I realize we have a past, but that's all it is... a past. I'm here strictly for professional purposes."

"I like this dominant side of you." Carmilla smiled, leaning back a little. She studied Laura for a moment before gesturing to the chair in front of her desk, "Please, have a seat, make yourself comfortable." The last word rolled from her tongue like melted butter, her voice lowering just a hint.

"I'd rather not," Laura sighed, ignoring the obvious attempts at flirting. Instead she reached into her pocket and pulled out a picture of the most recent victim, "Do you recognize this woman?" She asked, walking over to slide the photo in front of Carmilla.

There was an extensive silence as Carmilla studied the picture. When she finally spoke again her voice lacked the arrogance from before, "Yes," She answered, her eyes fixated on the puncture wounds in the dead woman's neck. "She's been to the club a couple of times."

To be honest, Laura had been expecting a lie, "Good." She nodded, feeling slightly less angry, "When was the last time you saw her?"

"I'm not sure," Carmilla swallowed before glancing up to meet the detective's stare. As their eyes locked, she slipped her mask back into place, "You don't think I killed her, do you Cupcake?" She pouted, sliding the photo back across the desk.

"Where were you last night from 2am to 4am?" Laura spoke sternly, bracing her palms on the side of Carmilla's desk.

Another wicked grin graced Carmilla's face as she too leaned forward, "Would you like me to remind you?" She husked, reaching out to brush her fingers against the back of the detective's hand.

Laura jerked away, "Don't play games with me." She took a step back, the need for distance suddenly overwhelming, "I know you left in the middle of the night."

For the briefest of moments, Laura swore something resembling remorse flashed across the other girl's features, but it was gone so quickly she couldn't be sure.

"Fine," Carmilla glared, "You're right, I did leave. I wasn't aware you wanted it to be a sleepover."

"Where did you go?"

"That's none of your business." Carmilla huffed, her own anger beginning to surface.

It was Laura's turn to offer an arrogant grin, "If you can't provide an alibi, then I'm afraid I'll have to take you back to the station for questioning."

"You–" The shrill of a phone cut Carmilla off.

Digging into her pocket, Laura pulled out her cell and read the name flashing across the screen. Then glancing back up at Carmilla she glared, "We're not done yet."

 

* * *

 

"Detective Lawrence." Danny answered.

The interview she'd had with the bartender was already over. The girl had an air tight alibi, and absolutely no motive. Not to mention the fact she was way too dumb to be a serial killer... but that was beside the point.

"Hey we got something." Kirsch spoke through the phone, "Gather up Hollis and head back down to the morgue."

"She's talking with the manager."

"Well tell her to wrap it up. It's important."

Danny rolled her eyes, "Can't you just tell me over the phone?"

"I could, but it's not as fun that way... so no."

"Come on," Danny whined, "at least give me a hint or something."

"The hint is that this might just blow the lid off the case," Kirsch laughed, "Now hurry up and get back here so we can tell you."

"Fine," Danny released a warm laugh. "Be there in a little bit." She hung up the phone with a smile, moving to go find Laura.                                                                                                                                                                                      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the positive feedback! I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of the comments, bookmarks, and kudos... it really is the best gift an author can get :)


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